When a lawyer mentioned a case for an early hearing before a Supreme Court bench he presided over on Tuesday, an incensed Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud warned, "Don't mess with my authority," news agency PTI reported. The CJI, who rarely loses his cool during judicial proceedings, became irritated when the lawyer first requested an early hearing of his case and, after being told that it would be heard on April 17, asked for the liberty to mention it before another bench.
"I can mention before another bench if permitted," the lawyer said.
"Do not pull these pranks on me. The term "responsibility" refers to the act of determining whether or not a person is responsible for his or her own actions. Sensing the mood of the bench, the lawyer expressed regret and requested that his submissions be excused.
"You are excused. But do not meddle with my authority," the CJI stated sternly before proceeding to hear the mention of other cases for urgent hearing. Every morning, the CJI-led bench hears approximately 100 cases for urgent listing before the Supreme Court benches.
After being sworn in as the 50th Chief Justice of India on November 9, 2022, CJI DY Chandrachud stated that serving ordinary citizens has been his top priority. While promising registry and judicial reforms, he stated, "My work, not words, will speak," the New Indian Express reported on April 10.
According to the CJI, justice has never been a sovereign function but an essential service provided to citizens, and the judicial reforms he has implemented since taking office speak volumes about his commitment to ensuring the common man's access to justice in its broadest sense.
Earlier in the day, Justice Chandrachud emphasised the importance of digital inclusion and an ecosystem that enables the benefits of technology to be realised. "Technology is not a panacea in and of itself," the Supreme Court judge pointed out, emphasising the significance of tailoring Indian technology to our social realities and making our design thinking user-centric.
He was speaking at the Gauhati High Court's platinum jubilee celebrations. President of India Droupadi Murmu, Governor of Assam Gulab Chand Kataria, Union Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju, Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court Sandeep Mehta, and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma were also in attendance.